Ok that got me further. I then got the error "/bin/sh: /usr/bin/arm-linux-gnueabi-ld: not found" and sure enough there is no symlink for "/arm-linux-gnueabi-ld". I fixed that by creating a symlink to /usr/bin/ld and then fixed the next error with another symlink to /usr/bin/ar. It appears to be compiling now.

I did a bit of googling and found that the error "undefined reference to `__aeabi_uldivmod'" is caused by a bug in gcc 4.3.? The compiler installed in the plug using apt-get install build-essential is 4.3.2 and apparently has that bug. The cross compiler from sheeva uses gcc 4.2 which does not have the bug and is able to compile without problems.

My question now is: has anyone successfully done a native kernel compile on the plug with the gcc version installed in the plug using apt-get install build-essential?

The kernel compiles cleanly on my Sheeva. Mkimage has to be installed to get a uImage. One significant difference is that I compiled and installed gcc 4.3.3 first. Not sure it would be worthwhile for you to do that though.

Which kernel? Does linux-feroceon_4_2_7_KW (2.6.22.18) build cleanly?I built gcc 4.3.3 from source and got the same error:kernel/built-in.o: In function `getnstimeofday':utsname_sysctl.c:(.text.getnstimeofday+0xe0): undefined reference to `__aeabi_uldivmod'

OK. I compiled gcc-4.3.3 successfully and got the same "undefined reference to `__aeabi_uldivmod'" error when I compiled linux-feroceon_4_2_7_KW.

Next I downloaded and compiled gcc-4.3.2 and again got "undefined reference to `__aeabi_uldivmod'".

Next I downloaded and tried to compile gcc-4.2.4 (that supposedly doesn't have the bug) but the compile was not successful and gave up on that.

Next I recompiled gcc-4.3.3, downloaded 2.6.30.4 from kernel.org and compiled that and successfully created a uImage!

I copied that uImage to my tftp server and was able to successfully boot it (after changing the appropriate env. vars.) with the ubuntu 9.0.5 root file system. It gave module errors as I hadn't copied those over but I'm guessing that would be easy to fix.

So I have successfully built and booted 2.6.30.4 from kernel.org on the plug

make modules <- takes a long time to compile on the Plug but its "native"

make modules_install <- this moves modules to -> /lib/modules/2.6.22.18

to add a usb2serial device like Prolific 2303 to the Plug we need to build a set of kernel modulesand configure the kernel config to compile them, make menuconfig does not work, so we punt and run the line by line config program

Gene noticed when minicom is connected through a ProLific 2303 usb2serial cable with a null modem adapter to another device, minicom appears "disconnected", or "not connected".

That's because the minicom program was designed to work with modems and monitors rs-232 lines that indicate connection state.

In our case we were connected to an old switch and the switch or the null modem adapter did not support those signals.

No big deal, just hit the keyboard a couple times and the device on the other side responds.. even though minicom continues to report there is no connection on its status bar at the bottom of the screen.